NEW DELHI: China's aggressive expansionism is now targeting tiny Bhutan . With no boundary agreement, China took unilateral action by building a road in Chumbi Valley area that would threaten Bhutan.Bhutan and China do not have diplomatic relations.The MEA maintained silence on Thursday, while China and its official media raved and ranted against India.Breaking its silence after a day of being subjected to a barrage of criticism, the Bhutanese foreign ministry said in a statement that "the construction of the road inside Bhutanese territory is a direct violation" of earlier agreements between the nations, and "affects the process of demarcating the boundary between our two countries".Sources here said India was "compelled to step in to cool temperatures and had urged restraint and responsible behaviour" by China.India stopped China's road building project in the Doka La area near Chumbi Valley. Demanding a return to status quo in Doklam plateau, Bhutan said it had sent diplomatic messages to Beijing . On the ground, India stepped in to help Bhutan maintain its sovereignty from Chinese aggression.China is pushing this also because if it can continue to change the ground positions, a day would come soon when the Chinese road would reach the Siliguri corridor, or 'Chicken's Neck', effectively cutting off the Northeast from the rest of India.China has been trying to change the ground position in this area because India is dominant here, controlling the key mountain ridges.Therefore, Beijing has been pushing Thimphu, one of the three parties in the tri-junction area, to move its claims so as to accommodate Chinese claims.It has now invoked "ancient" rights to the region. But defence sources said India would do everything to help Bhutan protect its territorial sovereignty against Chinese expansionism.

Source: Times of India June 29, 2017 21:01 UTC